Trump Signs Housing Deregulation Executive Orders as Senate Sends 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to House
On March 13, 2026, President Trump signed two executive orders aimed at boosting home affordability by cutting federal housing‑related regulatory burdens — directing agencies to streamline permitting, curb certain “green” building and water‑permitting rules, and simplify mortgage requirements to help community banks — as the Senate sent the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to the House after an 89–10 vote. The sweeping, decades‑in-the-making package would boost supply through deregulation, temporarily bar a Fed CBDC and curb institutional investors (generally barring firms owning 350+ single‑family homes from new purchases with carve‑outs and a seven‑year sell‑off rule for some build‑to‑rent projects), but House conservatives and Trump’s threat not to sign other bills until the SAVE America Act passes could delay or reshape final passage.
📌 Key Facts
- The Senate on March 12 passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by an 89–10 vote — a bipartisan package described as the most sweeping federal housing legislation in decades — and sent it back to the House.
- The Senate-added core investor provision would bar institutional buyers that already own at least 350 single‑family homes from purchasing more; it includes exceptions for substantial rehabilitation and build‑to‑rent projects but would require build‑to‑rent holdings to be sold after seven years and give current renters a first right of refusal.
- The bill (authored in large part by Sens. Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren) contains more than 40 provisions to boost supply and affordability by deregulating and modernizing programs — streamlining permitting and environmental reviews, easing manufactured/modular housing rules, expanding how federal housing dollars can be used, allowing more bank investment in affordable housing, and lifting some limits on private financing for public housing.
- The Senate version also includes a temporary ban on the Federal Reserve issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), a provision some House conservatives want to make permanent.
- The House previously passed a different version 390–9; House GOP leaders, the Freedom Caucus and several House members have signaled resistance to the Senate changes (with calls for a formal conference), meaning the measure could be delayed for months unless the House simply agrees to the Senate text.
- The White House and President Trump have publicly backed limits on corporate home ownership and claim credit for the package, but Trump has publicly threatened not to sign new measures — including this housing bill — unless Congress first passes his preferred voting legislation (the SAVE America Act / proof‑of‑citizenship and mail‑ballot restrictions), leaving enactment uncertain.
- On March 13, 2026, President Trump signed two executive orders aimed at improving home affordability ahead of the midterms: one directing federal agencies to cut housing‑related regulatory burdens (including calls to curb certain green building codes and to review stormwater, wetlands and other permitting) and a second to simplify mortgage rules and make it easier for smaller community banks to lend for homes.
- Coverage added context on the underlying affordability crisis motivating the legislation: research and data cited a U.S. housing shortage (estimated to have grown to about 8.2 million units), median home prices rising faster than per‑capita income (prices ~207% vs income ~155% since 2000), and polls showing many potential first‑time buyers delaying homeownership and major life decisions because of housing costs.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2025, foreign-born households accounted for two-thirds of rental demand growth nationwide, contributing to sharp increases in housing costs, with 100% of rental price growth in states like California and New York attributed to this influx.
New HUD Study Exposes Impact of Biden Border Crisis on Housing Affordability — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the homeownership rate was 75.1% for White households, 63.1% for Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander households, 48.7% for Hispanic households, and 44.2% for Black households.
What is the State of Homeownership Today? — Bipartisan Policy Center
Persistent income and credit gaps contribute to racial disparities in homeownership, with Black households having a median income of $56,020 in 2024 compared to $88,010 for White households, and lower average credit scores limiting mortgage access.
Black Americans Own Smaller Share of Homes — LendingTree
Government regulations account for nearly 25% of the cost of a single-family home and more than 40% of the cost of a typical multifamily development, with environmental review delays adding 11-16% to development costs.
The Housing Policy Inflection Point: What Will Change In 2026 — Forbes
📊 Analysis & Commentary (3)
Maybe *all* rental housing should be owned by large institutional investors
"A contrarian opinion arguing that banning large institutional single‑family landlords (as in the Senate housing bill) is the wrong policy — institutional ownership, when regulated, can improve rental quality and supply, and lawmakers should target misconduct and expand supply rather than force mass divestment."
Foreigners are snapping up US homes and stealing the American dream out from under families
"A Fox News opinion piece argues that foreign buyers—especially all‑cash purchases from countries like China—are materially worsening U.S. housing affordability and urges Congress to restrict or heavily tax foreign home purchases alongside measures to curb institutional buyers."
Upscale liberals are developing class consciousness
"The piece reads as commentary on the new housing policy fight — interpreting upscale liberals’ growing hostility to institutional landlords and support for reforms (investor limits, permitting changes) as an emergent, constrained form of class consciousness that is politically important but partial and self‑interested."
📰 Source Timeline (12)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 13, 2026
10:37 PM
Trump signs executive orders aimed at home affordability ahead of midterms
New information:
- On March 13, 2026, President Trump signed two executive orders explicitly aimed at improving home affordability ahead of the November midterms.
- The first order directs federal agencies to reduce their own housing-related regulatory burdens, encourage state and local governments to speed permitting, and specifically calls for curtailing 'green' building codes, design and building mandates, and certain environmental and energy-efficiency regulations.
- The order tasks EPA and the Army secretary with reviewing and updating stormwater, wetlands and other water-related permitting requirements to cut costs and improve insurability of homes.
- The second order seeks to reduce regulatory burdens tied to mortgages and to make it easier for smaller community banks to provide home loans by simplifying the mortgage process.
- The White House had issued a March 2 statement supporting the broad bipartisan housing bill the Senate passed Thursday, which includes construction incentives and limits on institutional home ownership, but its path in the House remains uncertain.
12:24 PM
Four US service members dead after aircraft goes down in Iraq and more top headlines
New information:
- Fox notes the Senate has sent the 'massive bipartisan, Trump-backed housing package' back to the House, underscoring Trump’s public support for the bill.
- The newsletter doesn’t change core legislative facts but reinforces that the White House is claiming ownership of the package even as Trump’s own SAVE ultimatum threatens to complicate its enactment.
11:45 AM
FBI investigates attacks in Michigan and Virginia. And, Senate passes housing bill
New information:
- NPR’s newsletter notes that the Senate passed a major housing bill, but provides no additional substantive legislative detail beyond what is already captured in the existing in‑depth housing story.
- It reiterates that the measure is a sweeping housing package but omits specifics such as the institutional investor ban threshold, CBDC provision, or vote tally that are already documented.
- No new quotes, amendments, or political maneuvering around the bill beyond prior reporting are added.
8:45 AM
Morning news brief
New information:
- NPR’s morning brief emphasizes that the bipartisan Senate housing bill would “ban large investors from buying up single‑family homes,” elevating that specific provision as a core feature in a national‑audience summary.
- By highlighting the investor ban in a short top‑stories rundown, NPR signals that this anti‑institutional‑buyer element is likely to be one of the politically and economically pivotal aspects of the package for U.S. listeners.
March 12, 2026
8:41 PM
America needs a housing fix. Congress has ideas – but has hit a snag.
New information:
- Details that the Senate bill’s institutional investor provision not only bars companies that own 350 or more single-family homes from further purchases but also requires those who build or own 350 or more build-to-rent homes to sell them after seven years.
- On-the-record reaction from co-sponsor Sen. Tim Scott, who calls the Senate bill "fantastic" and the House bill "good" and describes the package as a bicameral approach to housing.
- New explicit opposition from Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, who voted against the bill, calling the 350-home cap "bananas" and warning that banning build-to-rent housing will harm rental supply.
- Additional context that Trump used his State of the Union address to urge Congress to support the cap on institutional investors in single-family homes, even as he maintains his broader threat not to sign legislation until the SAVE America Act passes.
- Fresh data points on the underlying affordability crisis: St. Louis Fed figures showing median per capita income is up 155% since 2000 while median home prices rose about 207%, a McKinsey estimate that the U.S. housing shortage nearly doubled to 8.2 million units from 2012 to 2023, and Harris polling that 53% of would-be first-time buyers do not expect to own until 40 or later and 71% are delaying at least one major life decision because of housing costs.
6:27 PM
WATCH LIVE: Senate passes bipartisan housing bill
New information:
- Confirms the Senate vote and outcome (89–10) in real time and reiterates that the bill now returns to the House after Senate passage.
- Quotes Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Tim Scott framing the bill’s intent: boosting housing supply, easing homeownership, and helping renters, seniors, people with disabilities, and rural and urban communities.
- Details that the bill would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors, expand how federal housing dollars can be used, empower local governments, allow banks to invest more in affordable housing, and lift limits on public housing units that can receive private Section 8 financing.
- Reports that despite Trump’s prior backing of negotiations, it remains unclear whether he will sign the bill after his public threat to withhold signatures on new measures unless Congress passes his proof‑of‑citizenship and mail‑ballot restrictions.
- Adds fresh reaction from Senate Majority Leader John Thune urging the House to simply pass the Senate bill as the quickest route, and from House Financial Services Chair French Hill signaling that many House members have concerns with the Senate version and may seek a conference.
- Reinforces the electoral timing: both parties want to show action on housing before midterms, but the SAVE America ultimatum and House‑Senate differences could drag talks out for months.
6:21 PM
Senate advances bipartisan housing bill, which faces an uncertain fate
New information:
- This piece confirms the 89–10 Senate passage as reported elsewhere and focuses on authorship by the top two members of the Senate Banking Committee: Sen. Tim Scott (R‑S.C.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D‑Mass.).
- It highlights that major media (New York Times) describe the measure as the largest piece of housing legislation in 36 years and summarize its aims as streamlining production, modernizing federal programs, improving financing, easing regulations, and setting limits on large institutional investors.
- It adds a reported internal account from Speaker Mike Johnson that Trump told House Republicans at their retreat that 'no one gives a (bleep) about housing' and wants them to focus entirely on the SAVE America Act.
- The article reiterates Trump’s recent statement, 'I don’t want to drive housing prices down,' as part of his stance shaping the bill’s prospects.
5:54 PM
Senate passes bipartisan housing bill to improve access and affordability
New information:
- Confirms the Senate vote tally as 89–10 on the bipartisan housing package.
- Explicitly states that President Donald Trump has declared he will not sign any new measures — including this housing bill — unless Congress passes his preferred voting legislation requiring proof of citizenship and ending most mail‑in balloting.
- Details that House GOP leaders are signaling they are unlikely to simply accept the Senate housing bill and may instead push for a formal conference process, which could delay final passage by months.
- Adds on‑the‑record comments from Senate Majority Leader John Thune that the fastest way to enact the bill is for the House to pass the Senate version, and that the White House would need to press House leadership if it wants that outcome.
- Provides additional policy detail: the bill further streamlines certain environmental reviews and inspections, eliminates a limit on grants for emergency shelter beds and street‑homelessness outreach, and relaxes a permanent‑chassis requirement for manufactured and modular housing.
5:22 PM
Trump-backed affordable housing overhaul clears Senate, while House GOP raises red flags
New information:
- Confirms this was a 'massive bipartisan swell' of support in the Senate and that the bill 'easily sailed through' the chamber, reinforcing the breadth of backing.
- Details specific concern from Sen. Brian Schatz, D‑Hawaii, and industry groups that the 7‑year forced‑sale requirement for owners of 350+ units could 'kneecap' the build‑to‑rent market and hurt rental supply.
- Quotes House co‑lead Rep. Mike Flood, R‑Neb., criticizing the Senate for removing 'important bipartisan House provisions' aimed at cutting barriers to building and warning the bill may need a formal conference.
- Reports that President Trump has issued a broad threat not to sign any other bills unless the Senate passes his preferred voter‑ID legislation, creating an additional obstacle for the housing bill.
- Adds Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s argument that the Senate bill was crafted in part to make it 'more palatable to the House' and his expectation the White House will work House Republicans to get it to Trump’s desk.
4:39 PM
Senate passes bipartisan housing bill targeting large investors and easing regulations
New information:
- Confirms the Senate vote margin as 89–10 and frames the bill as the largest federal housing package in decades focused on affordability and availability.
- Spells out the core investor provision: investors that already own at least 350 single‑family homes would generally be barred from buying more, with exceptions for substantial rehab and build‑to‑rent projects that must be sold after seven years, giving current renters first right of refusal.
- Provides context that roughly 84% of provisions in the Senate bill mirror the previously passed House version, with the large‑investor purchase ban as the principal new Senate addition.
- Cites outside research (Urban, Freddie Mac) indicating large investors own about 3% of single‑family rentals nationwide and may have only a modest direct effect on prices relative to supply shortages and migration, underscoring that the bill targets a small but politically salient segment.
- Highlights that the bill contains more than 40 provisions aimed at boosting supply through deregulation and expansion of existing programs, and that backers characterize it as a bipartisan effort to help families, not Wall Street landlords.
4:23 PM
Senate passes sweeping bipartisan housing bill, but House roadblocks remain
New information:
- The Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by a vote of 89–10, a wider and more specific tally than previously reported ‘advancement.’
- The measure’s formal name is the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and it is described as the most sweeping housing legislation in decades.
- The Senate version includes a temporary ban on the Federal Reserve issuing a central bank digital currency, which some House conservatives want to make permanent.
- The bill contains a prohibition on institutional investors purchasing single‑family homes, a provision specifically sought by the White House and consistent with Trump’s January executive order instructing agencies to avoid facilitating such sales.
- House passage last month was 390–9 on a different version; the House must now decide whether to accept the Senate’s changes, amend them, or go to conference.
- House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris has signaled conservatives will resist the Senate version, saying the House will not handle housing ‘the way the Senate is going to send it over.’
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise both publicly framed the bill as part of efforts to address affordability, while acknowledging that the White House may need to pressure House leaders to accept the Senate bill.
- President Trump has recently threatened not to sign other legislation until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, suggesting the housing bill is not currently his top legislative priority despite his support for curbing corporate home ownership.